In resent years, a display device, such as (i) a liquid crystal display device rapidly spreading in place of a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) or (ii) an organic EL display device, including active elements is widely used in various electronics devices including televisions, monitors, mobile phones, and the like, by utilizing characteristics, such as high image quality, energy saving property, thinness, light weight, and the like, of the display device.
Such a display device includes a display panel 100 which includes a display medium such as liquid crystal molecules or organic EL molecules that are sealed between an upper substrate 101 and a lower substrate 102 as shown in FIG. 10.
In the case of a liquid crystal display device, though not shown, the upper substrate 101 is provided with a common electrode and a color filter layer. Meanwhile, the lower substrate 102 is provided with pixel electrodes and active elements (thin film transistors, thin film diodes, or the like).
Further, in recent years, in a compact display panel used for a compact electronics device such as a mobile phone, on the lower substrate 102, a scanning signal line drive circuit and a data signal line drive circuit tend to be monolithically formed for the purpose of reducing a frame area that becomes a dead space and improving reliability.
As shown in FIG. 10, an electronic signal for driving the display panel 100 of a conventional configuration is, in general, supplied to a terminal that is patterned in a metal thin film provided on the lower substrate 102, via an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) 104 that is connected to an external control circuit (not shown) and crimped to a terminal area 103 of the display panel 100.
Conventionally, various configurations are proposed for enhancing a variety of input terminal structures of display panels.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses configurations as shown in FIG. 11 in display panels 221 and 222 each employing thin film diodes (MIM elements) 204. One of the configurations is as shown in (a) of FIG. 11 and arranged such that a plurality of terminal sections 207 and 210 are gathered on a thin film diode element substrate 201. To the plurality of terminal sections 207 and 210, an external drive IC is bonded by TAB. Another one of the configurations is as shown in (b) of FIG. 11 and arranged such that the plurality of terminal sections 207 and 210 are gathered on a counter substrate 202.
In the configuration of (a) of FIG. 11, on the pixel substrate 201, a plurality of pixels 218 are arranged in a matrix form. Further, each of the plurality of pixels 218 includes a thin film diode (MIM element) for driving liquid crystals and each pixel electrode 206 is formed so as to be electrically connected to the thin film diode (MIM terminal) 204. Furthermore, on an upper side of the element substrate 201, each pad 237 that has a sufficiently wide area is formed so as to correspond to each column (in a vertical direction in (a) of FIG. 11) of pixel electrodes 206 of the pixels 218 arranged in the matrix form. To an end section of the each pad 237, a first terminal section 207 is provided.
Meanwhile, pixels 218 in each row (in a lateral direction in (a) of FIG. 11) are connected by a line 203 between pixels, and at an end section of the line 203 between pixels, a second terminal section 210 is formed.
In addition, on the counter substrate 202 provided so as to be opposed to the element substrate 201, common electrodes 209 each opposed to each column of the pixels 218 are formed. On an upper side of each of the common electrodes 209, a pad 236 is formed so as to correspond to the pad 237.
Note that, by using the pads 236 and 237, a condenser whose dielectric is made of liquid crystals is formed so as to causes a potential shift.
On the other hand, in the configuration of (b) of FIG. 11, pixels 218 in each column (in a vertical direction in (b) of FIG. 11) on the element substrate 201 are connected by a line 203 between pixels. At an end section of the line 203 between pixels, a sufficiently wide pad 216 is formed so as to correspond to a pixel electrode 206.
Further, on the counter substrate 202 provided so as to be opposed to the element substrate 201, the common electrodes 209 each arranged to be opposed to each line (in a lateral direction of (b) of FIG. 11) of pixels 218 are formed. At the end section of each of the common electrodes 209, a second terminal section 210 is formed. The common electrodes 209 are made of a transparent material such as ITO that transmits light. Moreover, each pad 217 is formed in a position opposed to the pad 216. To an end section of the each pad 217, a first terminal section 207 is provided.
According to the configurations of (a) and (b) of FIG. 11, it is possible to provide a terminal for data signal input and a terminal for scanning signal input on either one of the substrates 201 and 202. Accordingly, integration and/or simplification of connection become possible in regard to circuit members that are provided around the display panel 221 or 222 and to be connected to the terminals. Patent Literature 1 describes that, as a consequence, a size of the liquid crystal display device including the display panel 221 or 222 can be reduced.
Patent Literature 2 discloses a configuration as shown in FIG. 12. In the configuration, a lower substrate 30 is provided with a data signal line 301, a data signal line drive circuit 302 to which the data signal line 301 is connected, a scanning signal line 303, a scanning signal line drive circuit 304 to which the scanning signal line 303 is connected, a switching element 305 connected to the data signal line 301 and the scanning signal line 303, a pixel electrode 306 that is turned on/off by the switching element 305, and a group of lead wires 304a that are drawn from the data signal line drive circuit 302 and the scanning signal line drive circuit 304 for sending various signals from an outside of the panel to the data signal line drive circuit 302 and the scanning signal line drive circuit 304.
Further, on an outer side of the scanning signal line drive circuit 304 and along a side opposite to a side closely facing the data signal line drive circuit 302, a common shifting line 307 is provided. At each of diagonally opposing corners on the common shifting line 307, a common shifting electrode 308 is provided.
On the lower substrate 310, a group of video signal lines 302b is drawn from a side that is a near side or a lower side in FIG. 12 of the data signal line drive circuit 302 formed in a frame area. The group of video signal lines 302b is extended straight in a direction in which the group of video signal lines 302b is drawn, and reaches up to a position where the group of video signal lines 302b crosses a seal member 340 is provided.
At the position where the group of video signal lines 302b meets the seal member 340, bypass electrodes 302c are formed at an end of the group of video signal lines 302b. 
Further, at positions the seal member 340 is provided so as to extend in parallel to an outer side of the data signal line drive circuit 302 is provided, bypass electrodes 302d are formed. The bypass electrodes 302d cross the seal member 340.
Further, on an outer side of the line along which the seal member 340 is provided, a group of lines 302e is provided. The group of lines 302e is connected to the external connecting terminals 330.
Meanwhile, a common electrode 311 is formed substantially all over a surface of the upper substrate 320 except sections corresponding to (i) a part of an area right above the data signal line drive circuit 302 of the lower substrate 310 and (ii) an area on an outer edge area of the upper substrate 320.
In an area where the common electrode 311 is not formed, a group of bypass lines 314 for the group of lead lines 302b is provided. Respective ends of the group of bypass lines 314 are connected with bypass electrodes 315 and 316.
According to the above configuration, sectional parts of some lines among the plurality of lines drawn on the lower substrate 310 are arranged to run on the upper substrate 320. Therefore, on the lower substrate 310, an area occupied by the lines can be reduced. Patent Literature 2 described that, as a result, the data signal line drive circuit 302 can be moved closer, by an amount corresponding to the reduced area, to an edge of the lower substrate 310 and consequently, a narrower frame can be attained.